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No. 624,|59. Patented May 2, I899. A. 81. S. M. B'EVERIDGE &. H. K.SPENCE.

AGETYLENE GAS GENERATOR.

(Application filed Sept. 22, 1897.)

(No ModoL) 4 Sheets-Sheet I.

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No. 624,l59. Patented May 2, I899. A. & S. M. BEVERIDGE &. H. K. SPENCE.

ACETYLENE GAS GENERATOR.

(Application filed Sept. 22, 1897.) (No Model.) 4 Shaets$haet 2.

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No. 624,159. Patented May 2, 1999.,

A. M. BEVERIDGE & H. K. SPENCE. AOETYLENE GAS GENERATOR.

(Application filed Sept. 22, 1897) (No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sh9et 3.

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UNITED STATES PATENT QFFICE.

ANDREW BEVERIDGE, SAMUEL MURDOCII BEVERIDGE, AND HUGH KERR SPENCE, OFKIRKCALDY, SCOTLAND.

ACETYLENE-GAS GENERATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 624,159, dated May 2,1899.

Application filed fieptemher 22,1897. Serial No. 652,540. (No model.)

To all whom it may, concern:

Be it known that we, ANDREW BEVERIDGE and SAMUEL MURDOCH BEVERIDGE, ofNether street, and HUG-H KERR SPENCE, of 86 Mid street, Kirkcaldy, inthe county of Fife, Scotland, manufacturing ironmongers, subjects of theQueen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Acetylene-Gas Generators, (forwhich we have obtained patents in Great Britain, No. 29,554, datedDecember 23, 1896; in France, No.

267,355, dated May 28, 1897, and in Belgium,

No. 128,663, dated June 3, 1897,) of which the following is aspecification.

- Our invention relates to improvements in acetylene-gas generators, andhas for its object the production of a generator which when once startedcontinues its action automatically-that is to say, it automaticallysupplies the required quantity of water to the carbid-chambers whenneeded and when two carbid-chambers are employed when the one chamber isexhausted the other chamber is automatically brought into action.

, Our improvements consist in novel features of construction hereinafterdescribed and claimed.

In order that our invention may be fully understood, we will proceed todescribe it with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which FigureI is a front elevation of our improved acetylenegas generator, partly insection. Fig. II is a vertical longitudinal section taken on a linefromfront to back of the same. Fig. III is a horizontal section showinga plan view taken on a line above the base of the generator. Fig. IV isa horizontal section taken 011 a line through the base thereof. Fig. Vis a detail frontview of the automatic arrangement, showing the positionof the parts in starting the generator after having charged bothcarbid-chambers, the strip on the slide part being in contact with thetrip of the left-hand valve-rod. Fig. V1 is a similar view, theright-hand stop being in contact with the trip of the right-handvalve-rod. Fig. VII is a plan of the automatic arrangement. l

Referring to the said drawings, which show an acetylene-gas generatorprovided with two carbid-chambers, we employa rounder other shaped tankA, which is closed at the bottom and has a removable cover a at the topthereof. Within this tank A is a gas-containing bell B. water, withwhich it is filled to the required height. The bell B dips into thewater and rises and falls therein according as the bell is being filledand being exhausted, respectivel y.

C are guides secured at intervals to the inside of the tank in order toguide the bell as it rises and falls. The inside of the tank is alsoprovided, at one side thereof, with an up right outlet gas-pipe O,whichleads the generated gas from the inside of the bell down throughthe lower end of the generator into a chamber D, which is surroundedwith water, whereby the gas is cooled, then upward through the ordinarycoil D, surrounding the bell, and out of the gas-supply pipes to thepremises to be illuminated or for whatever purpose the generated gas isrequired. At the side of the generator is a cock E (see Fig. I) forturning off and on the flow of gas from the generator. Below the bottomof the tank is a rectangular or other shaped box or casing F to containthe gas-chamber D and two carbid-chambers F, a space being left below,between, and around the carbid-cham bers for containing water, wherebythe carbid-chambers are kept cool. These carbidchambers are situatedside by side immediately below the bottom of the tank and are eachprovided at the front with gas-tight doors f, lined with rubber or othermaterial, and by means of a crossbar f and tightening-screw f similar tothat which is used for the door of ordinary gas-retorts the chambers canbe readily hermetically closed.

The vessels f within the carbid-chambers forcontaining the carbid may bemade of sheet-iron, and each preferably consists, as shown, of a troughfixed within a rectangular boX or frame, with a hinged'handle forreadily drawing the boxes out for recharging.

Above the top of the rectangular box F, mounted on the plate g andcommunicating within the space occupied by the two carbidchambers F, aresituated valves Gfor allow- The tank A is designed to contain ing therequired quantity of water to be supplied to the carbid, the said valvesbeing of a conical shape and having their faces carefully ground to formseats for the valve-covers G. The said valves are inclosed by asemicircular casing or tank G secured to the side of the tank A, and inorder to enable the flow of the water to be checked between the tank andthe carbid-chambers in case of anything going wrong with the valvesindependent cocks 9 having elongated handles, are employed between thevalves and the discharge-pipes. Each of the valves G is operated by anupright rod g, working in guide-brackets 9, secured to the tank A. Thelower end of each rod 9 and the upper end of each cover-stem g areformed with right and left screw-threads, whereby the distance betweenthem can be regulated by an adjustable nut g to enable the distancebetween the valve and a pin 9 on the valve-rod, whereby the valve israised, to be correctly determined during the fitting up of the machineand also to permit the valve to be again readily adjusted should it byany chance become deranged, each of the said rods being formed at thetop with a slotted portion G within which work the outer ends of twotrips or catch'pieces II, having inner projections h and secured withinthe tank A, the said projections being engaged by actuating devicesprovided at the top of the bell. The trips are hinged to interiorbrackets h and project through the slots at in the wall of the tank toengage in the slots g in the heads G of the rods 9. The arrangement issuch that after the apparatus has been first actuated, as hereinafterexplained, it operates automatically in the following manner: The bellbeing charged and in its highest position descends according as thegenera-ted gas is consumed, causing one strip projection L on the bellto strike one of the projections which operate the valve-rods,

by which means one of the valves is opened and asupply of water allowedto run into the one carbid-chamber. WVhen that one carbid-chamber isexhausted, the other-stop on the bell is automatically caused to strikethe projection, operating the other valve-rod to supply thenecessaryamount of water to the other carbid-chamber. The particularmechanism for effecting this is hereinafter referred to. There is abranch gas-pipe J between the two carbid-chambers F, which are connectedto the bell gas-supply pipe J by a pipe j, an outlet j being providedfor running off any moisture formed. Each carbid-chamber is alsosupplied with an'independent cook or valve J for opening and shuttingoff the communication between the carbid-chamber and the gas-containingbell, and in order to in sure that when the one carbid-chamber is openedto be recharged the gas connection is turned off we connect anactuating-handle to each cook or valve J which handle is on the outsideof the apparatus. The said handles are provided with an elongated leverportion K, and the arrangement is such that when the lever portion islocated across the face of the door f of the one carbid-chamber F thegas connection is open; but when it is turned around so as to be free ofthe front of the carbid-chamber door the gas connection is cut off, thisarrangement insuring that the doors of the carbid-chambers can never beopened until the gas has been cut off. The watersupply from thewater-tank G2 to the carbidchambers is preferably by means of a pipe 70,extending from end to end of each carbidchamber and perforated withsmall holes to regulate the supply of water over the carbid, the saidpipe being led from the bottom of the water-tank along the top of thecarbidchamber, at the inside thereof, and the holes facing downward, sothat the water drops down to the center of the carbid.

Referring back to the automatic arrangement by means of which the onecarbid-chamher is started after the other is exhausted; it is asfollows: At the top at one side of the bell is fixed an angular plate L.Secured flat against the face of this plate is a slide-plate L, which isheld in guides l and which is adapted to be moved sidewise. Theslide-plate is provided with a strip projection L at its lower edge,adapted to engage a trip projection in starting the generator. The oneend of this slide-plate has a stop Z,,which comes in contact with theprojection h of one of the trips H of one of the water-valve rods g, andthe other side is provided with a second similar stop Z arranged at alower level than the stop Z and adapted to come in contact with theprojection h of the other trip H of the other water-valve rod g.Situated at the upper ends of the valve-rods g is a horizontal arm-pieceor lever M, which is pivoted at the center of its length to the side ofthe watertank G The pivoting-pin of this arm or lever is passed throughthe shell of the tank G to ahandle M on the outside thereof. To startthe apparatus, this handle is operated in the one direction, whichraises the one arm of the lever M and lifts the water-valve rod 9 bymeans of the rod-pin g. This allows a supply of water to fall onto thecarbid. The generated gas immediately passes into the bell, which risesuntil the bell is filled, which can be indicated by means of a tube orindicator M fixed in the bell B, the end in of which passes through thecover a of the water-tank A. As the gas is consumed the bell descendsuntil the stop Z on the one side of the bell strikes its correspondingtrip, which is at the top of the water-valve rod. The said valve is thusopened again, and another supply of water is dropped on the carbid, thusgenerating another supply of gas. The bell thus rises againautomatically, and the same action goes on until the gas in that onecham her is nearing exhaustion. This exhaustion causes the bell to fallto such a lown ess that a V-shaped stop N, situated at the center of theslide-plate L on the bell B, strikes one of two projections P, which aresecured to the inner side of the water-tank A at a point below the topof the water-valve rods, the said projections P being pivoted andweighted, so as to allow the bell to rise. Owing to the V shape of thebell-stop N the slide-plate on the bell is shifted to the one side. ingbrings the stop Z 011 theother end of the slide-plate L in contact withthe trip H of the other water-valve rod, whereby the said valve isopened and the supply of water given to the other carbid-chamber,whereby the same action takes place as with regard to the firstcarbid-chamber. The exhausted chamber can then be opened and recharged.WVhen the second chamber is nearing exhaustion. the bell descends untilthe V-shaped stop N engages with the other projection P, which placesthe parts in their-original position.

In order to indicate which carbid-chamber is in action, we provide anindicator Qat the one side of the water-tank. This indicator may beactuated .by means of an upright rod Q,,fixed to the front of theV-shaped stop of the bell slide-plate, so as to rise and fall with thebell. A small fork-piece q fits loosely-on this guide-rod and swivels onthe one arm of a pivoted pointer R, the end rof which pointer is bentand projects through a slot 0" in the shell of the water-tank, theextended length of the guide-rod working the pointer no matter what maybe the height of the bell within the tank.

In order to check any excess of gas-pressure in the bell, a let-oft"upright gas-pipe S maybe fixed within the water-tan k A, which pipetelescopes within the larger pipe M depending from the top of the bell,and the arrangement is such that when the bell rises to a certain heightthe excess of gas-pressure enters the pipe M by the aperture m, fromwhich it is allowed to escape down through the said upright pipe S,through the bottom of the water-tank, and out of the side of therectangular casing.-

Although we have described the apparatus with a double carbid-chamber,it is understood that the apparatus can also be worked with a singlecarbid-chamber only, in which case of course the automatic mechanism forchanging the action from the one chamber to the otherchamber would notbe required, and also that we do not limit ourselves to the precisedetails described, as it is obvious that any modifications of the samemay be cm- This shiftployed without departing from the scope of ourinvention.

Having thus described our invention, the

following is what we claim as new therein and desire to secure byLetters Patent:

1. An acetylene-gas generator comprising a main tank, a casing beneaththe main tank, carbid-chambers within the casing. a bell. a valve-tankat the side of the main tank, the pipes connecting the valve-tank withthe carbid-chambers, the valves within, the valvetank controlling thepipes, having valve-rods provided with slots at their upper ends, thehinged catch-pieces extending through the slots, the plate fixed to thebell, and the slideplate secured to the fixed plate, having stops forengaging the project-ions; substantially as described.

2. An acetylene-gas generator comprising a main tank, a casing beneaththe main tank, carbid-chambers within the casing, a bell, a valve-tankat the side of the main tank, the pipes connecting the valve-tank withthe carbid-chambers, the Valves Within the valvetank controlling thepipes, having valve-rods provided with slots at their upper ends, thehinged catch-pieces extending through the slots, the plate fixed to thebell, the slideplate having stops and V-shaped shiftingpiece, and theprojections secured to the valve-tank and receiving the impact of theshifting-piece for moving the slide-plate; substantially as described.

3. An acetylene-gas generator comprising a main tank, a casing beneaththe main tank, carbid-charnbers within the casing, a bell, a valve-tankat the side of the main tank, the pipes connecting the valve-tank withthe carbid-chainbers, the valves within the valvetank controlling thepipeshaving valve-rods provided with slots at their upper ends, thehinged catch-pieces extending through the slots, the plate fixed to thebell the slide plates having stops and V-shaped shiftingpiece, theprojections secured to the valve tank and receiving the impact of theshifting-piece, the pivoted indicator, and the indicator-rod secured tothe shifting-piece substantially as described.

ANDREW BEVERIDGE. SAMUEL MURDOCII BEVERIDGE. HUGH KERR SPENCE.

Witnesses:

JAS. PORTEOUS, WATsoN W. BAIRD.

